Andrew Sullivan points out a nice passage from Peggy Noonan’s WSJ column. It’s nice to see some thoughtful perspective on the absurdity of Bitter-Gate.
Noonan says:
Sen. Obama seems honestly surprised by the furor his the-poor-cling-to-God-and-guns remarks elicited, and if one considers his background—intense marginalization followed by the establishment’s embrace—this is understandable. He was only caught speaking the secret language of America’s elite, and what he said was not meant as a putdown. It was an explanation aimed at ameliorating the elites’ anger toward and impatience with normal people. It’s a way of explaining them, of saying, “You have to remember they’re not comfortable and educated like us, they’re vulnerable and so we must try to understand them and feel sympathy for and solidarity with them.” You could say this at any high-class dinner party in America and not cause a ruffle. But America is not a high-class dinner party.
Sullivan’s thoughts:
The smartest critiques of Obama get the sincerity of his ambition, while noting his flaws and greenness. The dumbest critiques miss the point entirely.
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